بهروز دستار

In this experiment, corn syrup was mixed with different feedstuffs and was evaluated in comparison to commercial sucrose fondant paste. Experimental treatments included a commercial fondant sucrose paste, Zarnam corn syrup paste, enriched Zarnam corn syrup paste (treatment 2 plus 0.5% vitamin and mineral supplement), Zarnam corn syrup vegetable paste, vegetable paste enriched with Zarnam corn syrup (Treatment 4 plus 0.5% vitamin and mineral supplement), and sucrose paste. Results showed that the commercial paste treatment had the highest population, and the enriched Zarnam syrup paste treatment had the lowest population (P<0.05). The larval population in all treatments containing Zarnam corn syrup, except the enriched Zarnam corn syrup paste, was similar to the commercial paste  (P<0.05). The highest pupal population was belonged to  commercial paste treatment, which was significantly higher than enriched Zarnam corn syrup paste and sucrose paste (P<0.05). The egg-laying rate of the queen in Zarnam enriched corn syrup plant paste, and sucrose paste treatments was statistically similar to commercial paste, while it was lower in other Zarnam corn syrup treatments (P<0.05). The lowest amount of pollen storage was related to the Zarnam syrup paste treatment, which was significantly lower than other treatments (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference between other treatments. Based on the results of this research it can be concluded that it is possible to prepare an enriched herbal paste by combining Zarnam corn syrup with plant materials, mineral and vitamin supplements, with the same effects on production performance of bees as commercial fondant sucrose paste.

A total of 450 Ross 308 female broiler breeder pullets were distributed into 30 experimental units with 6 treatments and 5 replicates with 15 birds per each. The experiment was performed in a a completely randomized design with a factorial 2 × 3 arrangement consisted of 3 feed forms (mash, crumble, and pellet) and 2 levels of nutrient density (standard diet and diluted diet to 90% standard) in the grower and pre-breeder periods. The results showed that feed form in the diluted diet had no significant effect on the weight of broiler breeder pullets during the grower period, while the use of pellet feed compared to mash feed in the standard diet caused a significant increase in body weight (P< 0.05). Pellet and crumble feeds compared to mash feed in the pre-production period caused a significant increase in body weight and diet dilution caused a significant decrease in the body weight of broiler breeder pullets (P<0.05). Neither feed form nor nutrient density significantly affected jejunum villi morphology (P> 0.05). The use of pellet feed compared to mash feed caused an increase in the thickness of the gizzard dorsal muscles (P< 0.05). Based on the results of this experiment, the use of pellet or crumble diets containing nutrients recommended levels can cause problems in weight control in broiler breeder pullets due to increased weight, but diluting the diet to 90% of the nutrients recommendation are effective to a large extent in controlling body weight.

Some strains of Bacillus coagulans have shown probiotic characteristics and variety of technological features that make it useful across multiple industries. This study focused on investigating specific traits of B. coagulans strains IBRC10807 (T strain) and GBI-30,6086 (SH strain), such as surface hydrophobicity, tolerance to salt, acid, pepsin, trypsin, bile salt, and heat resistance. The study also examined their performance using different carbon sources (industrial glucose, date juice, grape juice, corn syrup, and sugar beet molasses) and nitrogen sources (sesame meal, soybean meal, and corn gluten), along with comparing the intensity of proteolysis of nitrogen sources. The results indicated that both strains were capable of proteolysis, with the SH strain demonstrating higher efficiency than the T strain when using corn syrup as the carbon source and soybean meal as the nitrogen source. Optimal conditions for fermentation were determined in this study, resulting in a total desirability of 95%, with the optimal amounts of soybean meal at 2.46%, corn syrup at 10.65%, and a fermentation time of 32.35 h. These findings suggest that B. coagulans strains have both probiotic and technological properties and can effectively ferment inexpensive carbon and nitrogen substrates to produce valuable materials.

This experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of replacing soybean meal with raw and fermented rapeseed meal on performance, carcass composition, and intestinal villi morphology of broiler chickens in normal rearing conditions and ascites induction.

Three hundred Ross 308 male broiler chickens were distributed in 30-floor pens in a completely randomized design with 2 × 3 factorial arrangements including three protein sources (soybean meal, raw rapeseed meal in the amount of 50% replacing soybean meal, fermented rapeseed meal in the amount of 50% replacing soybean meal) and two rearing conditions (normal and ascites induction) and reared for 42 days. Broiler body weight, liver, heart, feed intake, carcass composition, ascites indices, and morphometric indexes were measured.

The replacement of raw rapeseed meal with soybean meal caused a significant decrease in the weight of broiler chickens (P<0.05), while the weight of broiler chickens fed with fermented rapeseed meal was not statistically different from the soybean meal diet. Replacing raw and fermented rapeseed meals resulted in a significant increase in feed conversion ratio and a decrease in the European production index in ascites-induced rearing conditions (P<0.05), while this difference was not observed in normal rearing conditions. Replacing raw and fermented rapeseed meals with soybean meal as well as induction of ascites had no significant effect on carcass composition, liver and heart weight, ascites index, and intestinal villi characteristics of broiler chickens. Meanwhile, the replacement of raw and fermented rapeseed meal with soybean meal caused a decrease in the relative weight of the thigh, but an increase in the absolute and relative weight of abdominal fat in inducing ascites conditions.

The results of this experiment indicated that fermented rapeseed meal, not raw rapeseed meal, can be replaced with soybean meal at a 50% level in normal rearing conditions, while the replacement could not be suggested in ascites-induced rearing conditions, because of worsening feed conversion ratio and European production index.

Honey bee colonies can be kept and studied in smaller spaces than the hive called laboratory cages. The use of laboratory cages in honey bee studies can lead to innovative solutions to solve problems related to honey bee production and health due to the control of test conditions. In laboratory cages, if enough food is provided, the colony conditions can be made as similar as possible to the colony conditions in natural conditions. Laboratory cages are used for various purposes, and the cost of testing is greatly reduced due to keeping a smaller colony instead of using a complete colony in the field, and it is possible to perform multiple tests in a short period. The cage system is feasible and economical and has many advantages, but it should be noted that the type of laboratory cage depends on the purpose of the study and the size of the cage and the equipment needed to build the cage depends on the variables examined in the experiment.

The addition of various substances such as probiotics and prebiotics and synbiotics and herbs and their extracts as possible alternatives to antimicrobial growth stimulants have positive effects on the host.The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect of different levels of barley extract and synbiotic on yield, carcass characteristics and blood parameters of Ross 308 broilers. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 5 treatments, 5 replications and 10 chickens in each experimental unit for a total of 250 one-day-old chickens. Experimental treatments including control (without additive), barley extract 0.1%, barley malt extract 0.2%, barley extract 0.3% and soluble synbiotic in water were tested on broilers for 42 days. Feed-intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio were recorded in initial, growth, final pahse and throughout the experiment. In order to determine the characteristics of the carcass and measurement of blood parameters, at 42 days of age, two male chickens were selected from each experimental unit and slaughtered after weighing. The results showed that the addition of barley malt extract at the levels of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3% and synbiotic alone on feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio of broilers compared to the control was not significant. Also, adding 0.3% barley malt extract to drinking water caused a significant increase in triglyceride and VLDL-c serum levels of broiler chickens compared to the control (p <0.05), but other levels of malt extract barley and synbiotic had no significant effect on other blood parameters of broilers compared to controls. The present study showed that different levels of malt extract and synbiotic alone could not significantly improve the performance index and carcass efficiency throughout the experiment compared to the control group.

In recent decades, with the ban on the use of antibiotics in the poultry industry, the use of new alternatives such as probiotics and prebiotics have increased. Some of these alternatives can improve the growth and health of birds by creating optimal changes in the microbial population of the digestive tract. Therefore, the present experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of kappa-carrageenan polysacharid and primalac probiotic on the growth response and health of broilers.

240 one-day-old broilers of Ross 308 strain in a completely randomized design with 2× 2 factorial arrangement, including two levels of probiotic additive (zero and 0.1 % of food ration) and two levels of kappa-carrageenan additive (zero and 0.1 % of food ration) distributed in 24 cages (six replicates each containing ten birds) and reared on floor system for 24 days.

The growth performance of birds was not affected by the interaction of probiotics and kappa-carrageenan in the diet. However, the use of kappa-carrageenan in diets significantly increased the body weight gain of birds during 1 to 10 days of age. Feed intake of the birds was not affected by the experimental treatments and dietar levels of probiotic and kappa-carrageenan, but the feed conversion ratio was improved by adding 0.1% of probiotic in the diet at day 24 (P< 0.05). The relative weight of thigh in birds that received kappa-carrageenan was higher compared to the zero level of kappa-carrageenan in the diet (P< 0.05). Probiotic supplementation alone in the diet increased the relative weight of the liver of birds. Also, the relative weight of the liver was significantly lower in the birds that received diets containing kappa-carrageenan. In broilers fed with kappa-garakinan, the villus length increased in the duodenum and decreased the crypts depth in the ileum. The use of 0.1% of probiotics significantly increased the population of lactic acid bacteria in the ileum of birds. The population of lactic acid bacteria in the ileum of birds under 0.1% of probiotic increased significantly. Consumption of kappa-carrageenan and probiotics separately or mixed in the diet reduced the population of coliforms in the cecum (P< 0.05). Using a mixture of kappa-carrageenan and probiotic in the diet the activity of superoxide desmutase enzyme improved compared to the treatment containing kappa-carrageenan (P< 0.05).

The results of the present experiment showed that the use of probiotics and kappa-carrageenan in the diet of young broiler chickens can be effective in improving some parameters of the growth response during separate periods of rearing and optimally changing the microbial population of the digestive tract.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of replacing raw or fermented rapeseed meal with soybean meal on production performance and eggshell quality in broiler breeders. Rapeseed meal was fermented for 30 days with Lactobacillus subtilis and Aspergillus niger, and 140 broiler breeders (Ross 308) in a completely randomized design with a factorial arrangement of 3 × 2, including two types of rapeseed meal (raw and fermented) and three replacement levels with soybean meal (33, 66, and 100%) with a control group (corn-soybean) were performed with 5 replications for 12 weeks (three production stages). Results indicated that pH and glucosinolates values of rapeseed meal decreased significantly after microbial fermentation (P<0.05). Fermented rapeseed meal had no significant effect on body weight, egg weight, egg production percentage, and eggshell quality in comparison with raw rapeseed meal. The effect of replacing meal level on body weight and egg weight was insignificant, but with increasing the level of raw or fermented rapeseed meal in the diet a linear significant decrease was observed in production percentage and eggshell quality (P<0.05). The production percentage was significantly lower in hens fed 100% raw or fermented rapeseed meal compared to the control group (P<0.05). According to the results of this experiment, raw or fermented rapeseed meal at the levels of more than 66% replacement with soybean meal in the diet of broiler breeders negatively affected production performance and eggshell quality.

[1]Selenium is an essential mineral for many metabolic functions of the body, including the activation of enzymes and the optimal biochemical and physiological function of birds (Antongiovanni et al., 2007). Selenium protects cell membranes from oxidative damage and can therefore improve nutrient efficiency (Arner et al., 2012). The small intestine is the most important part in the digestion and absorption of nutrients, while the large intestine and intestinal tract are very important areas for the accumulation of microbes (Chitra et al., 2013). Gastrointestinal health is one of the most important and effective factors in bird function. Gastrointestinal microbial population affects the nutrition and health of various animal species, including poultry. These microorganisms need trace elements such as selenium to perform their normal metabolic functions. Selenium may affect bacterial cells by disrupting the respiratory chain (Pappas et al., 2005). In addition to improving the quality and composition of intestinal microflora, selenium can have a positive effect on the morphology of the intestine as an antioxidant (Haghighi-khoshkhoo et al., 2010). Despite these benefits, the effect of selenium on intestinal microbial population is largely unknown, so the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different levels of organic and inorganic selenium in the diet on microbial population, intestinal morphology and intestinal acidity in laying hens.

The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 300 laying hens of high-line strains from 23 to 35 weeks of age with 5 treatments, 6 replications and 10 hens per replication. Experimental treatments include 1- Base diet (without selenium), 2- Base diet + 0.5 mg/kg sodium-selenite, 3- Base diet + mg/kg 1 selenite-sodium, 4- Base diet + mg/kg 0.5 selenium-methionine, 5-base diet + 1 mg/kg selenium-methionine. At the end of the experiment, two birds were randomly selected from each replicate; To evaluate the microbial population, a sample of the contents of the cecum on the culture medium was used (1). Tissue samples were prepared and then measured using a microscope, villi length, villi width, crypt depth, and number of goblet cells (9). To measure acidity, samples were taken from the contents of the cecum, and acidity was measured by a pH meter.

The results indicate that consuming 1 mg/kg of selenium-methionine increased the villi area compared to the control treatment. The experimental treatments did not affect villi length, villi width, crypt depth, number of goblet cells, and the ratio of villus length to crypt depth. The consumption of 1 mg/kg of selenium-methionine significantly decreased the population of Salmonella and increased the population of Lactobacillus in the cecal compared to other experimental treatments. The consumption of 0.5 and 1 mg/kg of selenium-methionine caused a significant decrease in the population of aerobic bacteria compared to the control treatment. The acidity of cecal contents in the treatment containing 1 mg/kg of selenium-methionine was significantly reduced compared to the control treatment. Several studies (Langhout et al., 1999, Lukaszewicz et al., 2011, Pappas et al., 2005) have reported that using organic sources of selenium reduces the coliform population. In mice, dogs, and laying hens, selenium intake has been shown to increase the number of Lactobacillus and decrease Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in the cecum (Langhout et al., 1999, Lukaszewicz et al., 2011, Pappas et al., 2005). Increasing the population of beneficial bacteria due to the provision of sufficient selenium for their synthesis is also an antioxidant property of selenium in preserving the life of these bacteria. It appears that beneficial bacteria, such as Lactobacillus, can competitively eliminate harmful bacteria such as Escherichia coli in the gut (Lukaszewicz et al., 2011). An increase in the number of pathogenic bacteria in the intestine causes the villi to shorten and the lining to shrink (Attia et al., 2010).Numerous studies demonstrate that the consumption of diets containing selenium compounds has destructive effects on harmful intestinal bacteria (Chantiratikul et al., 2008, Hashemi et al., 2012, Heindl et al., 2010, Horn et al., 2009, Langhout et al., 1999). Adding organic selenium to the diet of broilers increases the weight of the intestines due to the growth of villi and intestinal lamina propria (Haghighi-khoshkhoo et al., 2010, Heindl et al., 2010). The lack of selenium consumption on morphology can be attributed to the levels of selenium used, as well as the bird's lack of stress. Selenium can exert its effect more effectively under stress conditions. Most harmful bacteria grow in an environment with acidity close to 7 or slightly higher, while beneficial bacteria multiply in an acidic environment and compete with pathogenic bacteria (Cooke et al. 1973). An increase in acidity leads to a decrease in Escherichia coli and Salmonella in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, the consumption of organic sources of selenium reduces the population of pathogenic microorganisms (aerobic bacteria, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella) and increases the population of Lactobacillus competitively, followed by an increase in gastrointestinal acidity. This improvement may lead to an increase in digestion, absorption, and performance (Kasaikina et al., 2011).

 According to the results of this study, it can be said that consuming organic sources of selenium (levels of one and 0.5 mg of selenium-methionine per kg of feed) significantly reduces the population of harmful aerobic bacteria, bacteria. Salmonella and Escherichia coli and cause a competitive increase in the beneficial population of Lactobacillus; The consequence of this operation is to increase the acidity of the cecum and reduce the damage and microbial destruction to the intestinal tissue, and therefore with positive changes in the morphology of the small intestine will lead to improved bird function.

Today, for the preservation and survival of honey bee colonies, special attention has been paid to the nutrition of colonies with extracts of medicinal plants. In this experiment, the effect of different levels of Rosa canina hydroalcoholic extract on population, queen egg laying, brood rearing, honey production and development of the hypopharyngeal glands of honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera) were studied during summer in an apiary in Ardabil province. At the beginning of the experiment, the colonies were homogenized according to the population, food storage and queens of the same age. The colonies were fed with control treatment and different concentrations of Rosa canina extract (2, 4 and 8% of the extract) during1 month. Brood rearing and queen egg laying were measured by Lattice frame (size of the squares are 5×5 cm2). The population of adult honey bee was measured by frame and 30 days after feeding the colonies. To investigate development of the hypopharyngeal glands, length and width of 10 acini from different parts of the gland for age 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 days were measured using a stereomicroscope and by software (T Capture).This experiment was performed in a completely randomized design with four replications and four treatments. In this study, treatment of 2% Rosa canina extract had a significant effect on brood rearing, but in queen egg laying, population and honey production, although it had a better effect numerically, but this effect was not statistically significant. In the growth of hypopharyngeal glands, the highest growth of acini level at 3 days (0.0432 mm2) for honey bees fed with 4% Rosa canina extract and at 9 and 12 days (respectively 0.0763 and 0.0722 mm2) It belonged to the colonies fed with 2% Rosa canina extract (P<0.05). In general, it can be said that the use of 2% of Rosa canina hydroalcoholic extract has been effective in improving the performance of honey bee colonies. It is also recommended for beekeepers to use Rosa canina hydroalcoholic extract as a nutritional supplement.

This experiment carried out to investigate the effect of feeding gamma-irradiated cottonseed meal on yield, serum lipid profile and liver enzymes in Japanese quails. A total of 384 Japanese quails were used in a completely randomized design with four experimental treatments with six replications and sixteen quail per replication for 35 days. Experimental diets included diets without gamma ray irradiated cottonseed meal (control treatment) and diets containing levels of 6, 12, and 18% protein of the diet with gamma irradiated cottonseed meal. At the end of the experimental period (35 days), feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratio were calculated. On the last day of the experimental period, blood samples were taken from a vein of two male quail whose body weight was close to the body weight of each replicate. The results of the effect of experimental treatments on feed intake show that there is a statistically significant difference between treatments (p<0.05). With the increase of irradiated meal in the diet composition, the amount of feed consumption in quails increased significantly (p<0.05). So that the highest amount of feed consumption belonged to the group receiving 18% of irradiated cotton seed meal with 613.85 g and the lowest amount of feed consumption related to the control treatment was 591.46 g (P<0.05). The mean weight gain in the whole rearing period was significantly different between the experimental treatments, so that the results show that the weight gain of chickens increased with increasing the level of irradiated cottonseed meal (p<0.05). The highest weight gain belonged to the birds fed with 18% of irradiated cottonseed meal with 217.60 g and the lowest weight gain belonged to the control group with 204.30 g (p<0.05). Concentrations of cholesterol, triglycerides, VLDL-C, HDL-C and LDL-C in serum of avian birds were not affected by experimental treatments. Therefore, this processing method can increase the use of cottonseed meal in poultry feed and increase the capacity to use cottonseed to replace soybean meal.

This study was performed to investigate the nutritional effect of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) hydroalcoholic extract on physiological and performance of honey bee colonies. Experimental treatments included control group and groups fed with one, two and three percent of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) extract. At the beginning of the experiment, colonies were used with the same population and reserves and homosexual queens. In this experiment, the colonies were fed with lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) extract every other day and after feeding the colonies with experimental treatments for one month, were measured parameters such as population, queen egg laying, brood rearing, honey production and development of the hypopharyngeal glands. Brood rearing and queen egg laying were measured by Lattice frame (size of the squares are 5×5 cm2) .The population of adult honey bee was measured by frame and 30 days after feeding the colonies. To investigate development of the hypopharyngeal glands, length and width of 10 acini from different parts of the gland for age 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 days were measured using a stereomicroscope and by software (T Capture).This experiment was performed in a completely randomized design with 4 replications. Data were analyzed using SAS software and GLM procedure and means were compared using Duncan test at 5% probability level. The results of this study show that at the level of brood rearing, colonies fed with 2% lemon balm extract had a statistically significant increase compared to the control treatment. For population, queen egg laying and honey production parameters, no significant difference was observed between the experimental treatments, but the 2% treatment of lemon balm extract, although not statistically significant, had a better effect numerically. The highest growth of acini level at 3 days (0.0417 mm2) was for honey bees fed with 2% lemon balm extract (P<0.05).There is also a statistically significant difference in the growth of hypopharyngeal glands at different times for each of the treatments. In general, it can be said that adding 2% of lemon balm extract is recommended as a nutritional supplement to honey bee colonies.

Low feed efficiency is one of the problems in the rumen of ruminants, which results in reduced growth and production of livestock and, most importantly, environmental pollution due to the release of methane and nitrogenous compounds . Changes in ruminal fermentation can be made to improve fermentation efficiency and substrate utilization and optimize feed nutritional value . Antibiotics have been successful in reducing energy loss (from methane) and protein (from ammonia nitrogen) in the rumen . However, today, due to general concerns about the remains of these compounds in milk and meat and thus increasing the bacterial resistance to them has caused the use of materials in feed as additive in some countries . Therefore, the tendency to find alternatives with natural origin for antibiotics has increased over recent years .Plant secondary metabolites are among the natural alternatives that have been studied in recent years that have antimicrobial properties.Essential oils, also known as volatile or ethereal oils, occur in edible, medicinal, andherbal plants. As these aromatic compounds are largely volatile, they are commonly extracted by steam distillation or solvent extraction . Essential oils can be extracted from many parts of a plant, including the leaves, flowers, stem, seeds, roots and bark. However, the composition of the EO can vary among different parts of the same plant . For instance, EO obtained from the seeds of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) have a different composition from the EO of cilantro, which is obtained from the immature leaves of the same plant . Chemical differences among EO extracted from individual plants, or different varieties of plants, also exist and are attributed to genetically determined properties, age of the plant, and the environment in which the plant grows . One of the plant essential oils that has a great potential for use in ruminant diets is the essential oil of thyme (Thymus Vulgaris). Thyme extract contains 0.6-8.8% (usually 1%) of essential oil, most of which are phenols (20-20%) and monoterpene hydrocarbons (such as P cymen and γ terpinen) and alcohols (such as Linalool and terpinen α). They show that sometimes these compounds make up 80% of the extract compounds. Naturally, thymol is also a major phenolic component in thyme and carvacrol is a sub – element (Leung and Foster., 1996). Although goats and sheep have often been fed and managed in a similar manner (goats being browsers and sheep being grazers), they are different, especially in their digestive capability, because of differences in the morphology of digestive system, including the mouth structure and gut, which may influence their ability to ingest and digest feed materials . Available information on efficiency of feed utilization between goat and sheep has been inconsistent with several studies reported sheep had higher growth performance than goats . In a recent in vitro study, Candyrine et al (2016) reported that goats had better rumen fermentation characteristics, including higher volatile fatty acids (VFAs) production and higher population of cellulolytic bacteria compared to sheep, suggesting that goats could be more superior in digesting feed materials.The results of studies performed on lambs and goats ) that have examined the effects of thyme extract or its major compounds (thymol and carvacrol) are very contradictory. And more research is needed to determine their effects on rumen fermentation and metabolism in lambs and goats. There is also little research on direct comparisons of the use of plant extracts in vivo between lambs and goats. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare these two species and the effects of thyme extract on performance and some ruminal parameters in fattening lambs and goat kids.The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different levels of thyme (Thymus vulgaris) extract on growth performance, feed intake, daily weight gain and digestibility of nutrients in fattening lambs and kids. For this purpose, 15 goat kids (average initial BW of 17.3 ± 1.2 Kg, 3 month- old) and 15 Dalagh lambs (average initial BW of 21.4 ± 1.5 Kg, 3 month- old) were randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments: 1) control (without thyme extract), 2) supplemented with 250 ml thyme extract and 3) supplemented with 500 ml thyme extract. Animals were kept in individual pens with self-mangers for 84 days. The results showed that there was no significant difference in nitrogen consumption through the use of extracts between different treatments. However, fecal and urinary excretion nitrogen was lower in treatments receiving 250 ml of thyme extract and retained and digested nitrogen was more than other treatments (P <0.01). Examination of interactions and species effects showed that the effect of thyme extract on excreted nitrogen and nitrogen retention in lambs was different from that of goat kids, so that excreted nitrogen was higher in goats and nitrogen retention was lower. With increasing levels of thyme extract, a significant decrease in gas and methane production was observed in both species (P <0.01). Rumen microbial population (total bacteria, coliforms and lactic acid bacteria) decreased due to the addition of thyme extract in both species, but this decrease was not significant. Also, in lambs and goats receiving thyme extract, with increasing the levels of the extract in the diet, the number of protozoa decreased significantly (P <0.01), so that the group receiving 500 ml of extract had the lowest number of protozoa. Concentrations of triglycerides, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein were not affected by the use of the extract. However, blood glucose concentration increased significantly with increasing the extract in the diet and blood urea nitrogen concentration decreased (P <0.01). In general, the results of this study showed that the use of thyme extract in the diets of lambs and goats can significantly reduce gas production, especially methane gas and excretion of nitrogen through urine and feces, and thus increase nitrogen retention and digestion.

Stress, as a response to adverse stimuli, is difficult to define and understand mostly due to its nebulous perception. As Selye (1976) pointed out, “stress is the nonspecific response of the body to meet any demand”, whereas stressor is defined as “an agent that produces stress at any time”. Hence, stress represents the reaction of the animal organism (i.e., a biological response) to stimuli that disturb its normal physiological equilibrium or homeostasis. Thanks to their antioxidants, nutrients and anti-inflammatory properties silver nanoparticles are used in many developed countries (Bhanja et al 2015). The list potential applications of nanotechnology are very wide and diverse, but it is undoubtedly one of its most valuable applications in the development of therapeutic and pharmaceutical cases. Also, the use of silver nanoparticles in the treatment of deadly diseases like avian influenza supports further research on biological systems (Xiang et al 2011). Among inorganic materials, metal oxides such as TiO2, ZnO, MgO CaO, and Ag are of particular interest because they are stable in hard conditions and generally considered to be safe substances for humans and animals.

A total number of 592 eggs with an average weight of 50 g were purchased from a commercial Hubbard F15 broiler breeder flock aged 50 wk. The eggs, allotted to 4 treatments of 4 replicates with 37 eggs each, were set on the same floor to provide similar incubation conditions. Treatments including 2 doses of silver nanoparticles (20 and 40 mg) was injected via the egg holes using 1 mL insulin syringes equipped with disposable needles (21 gauge). The control group did not receive any treatment, and the sham control was injected with 1 ml phosphate-buffered saline (Triplett et al 2018). The injection holes were immediately covered using paraffin. At the end of d 18 of incubation, the eggs were transferred to the hatching cabinet. On the 21d of incubation, the hatched chicks were taken out of the incubator and after counting (checking for hatching) and weighting, half of the chicks were killed on the same day to check Hemoral immunity (G and M),white blood cell count and study of the desired genes (TNF-α, IL-6 and TGF-β). Among other chickens, those that were more uniform in weight with the desired treatment were transferred to the breeding period for 42 day and again in 4 treatments (treatments applied during incubation) and 4 replications with 20 broilers per replication. During 42 day, broilers were provided with unlimited water and food. To induce oxidative stress during the breeding period, 500 μg/kg live weight Salmonella lipopolysaccharide injected at 12, 24 and 48 hours before killed (Xi et al 2000).

While ovo injection, silver nanoparticles was significantly decreased hatchability in comparison to the control group (P<0/05). In line with our results (Goel et al 2017) found that the hatchability of the eggs injected with nanoparticles was significantly lower than the control group. The reason can be attributed to the smaller size of younger embryos at the 7th ED, injection method, location injection, injection depth, injection time, genetics, hen age, egg size and hatching conditions (Sun et al 2018; Pilarski et al 2005). In case of ovo injection of 20 and 40 mg silver nanoparticles, significantly increased carcass percentage compared to the control group at hatching and post-hatch period, respectively (P<0/05). (Bhanja et al 2015; Pineda et al 2012) proved that silver nanoparticles had positive effects on embryo weight. Due to the significant amount of antioxidant in the silver nanoparticles inside the egg and its antioxidant effect on energy efficiency during embryonic life, silver nanoparticles receiving groups had a higher body weight at hatching time. Higher birth weight makes it possible to increase feed intake and weight gain in these treatments.Upon ovo administration of 20 mg silver nanoparticles, spleen was increased significantly compared to the control group at hatching period (P<0/05). This is in line with a previous study of Goal et al (2017), who observed higher liver and spleen weights in 40 mg/kg silver nanoparticles group. The development of B and T lymphocytes initiates during embryogenesis in the bursa of Fabricius and thymus, respectively, and matures in the spleen until post-hatch (Erf 1997). These organs play an important role in imparting immunity. The cells produced in these organs differentiate into cellular immunity and humoral immunity, thus imparting immunity against different pathogens. Therefore, increased liver and spleen weight indicates a better immunological health status of in ovo silver nanoparticles supplemented birds. Ovo treatments did not affect the concentrations of immunoglobulin (IgG), (IgM), WBC counts and H/L ratio (P>0/05). Our results are consistent with previous studies of Pineda et al (2012) who showed the concentration of IgG and IgM were not affected by ovo injection of 10 and 20mg/kg silver nanoparticles. (Salari et al 2016; Saki and Salari 2015) showed silver nanoparticles increased in serum IgM and IgE, and increased in blood neutrophilic granulocytes. Rezaei Zarchi et al (2012) reported, feeding the rats for 28 days at doses of 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg / kg of silver nanoparticles had no significant effect on WBC and H/L. Differences in results may be due to differences in injection method, location injection, injection depth, injection time, genetics, hen age, egg size and hatching conditions. In comparison with the control and 40 mg silver nanoparticles group at hatching, there was significant up-regulation of TNF-α, IL-6 and TGF-β gene expression in 20 mg silver nanoparticles injected embryos,. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is a key cytokine involved in inflammation and immunity and the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 induces the final maturation of B cells into antibody-secreting plasma cells, thereby increasing the secretion of immunoglobulins (Balkwill 2009; Mosmann 1989). Silver nanoparticles can interact with the immune system by binding and reacting with cells or proteins, thereby modulating the immune response. In the present study, higher expression of TNF-α gene in the livers was observed in ovo injected silver nanoparticles embryos. These findings also support earlier studies by Khan et al (2013), who showed the gene expression of IL-6 and TNF-𝛼 were affected by 50nm GNPs in the kidneys of rats. Also Vadalasetty et al (2018) reported that expression of TNF-α and NF-kB at mRNA were significantly up-regulated in the 50ppm silver nanoparticles group.

The results of this study suggest that silver nanoparticles improve the immune response of broilers by improving growth and increasing the relative expression of genes involved in immune function.

For this expriment 1440 Ross 308 male broilers (from 1 to 42 days of age) were used in a randomized complete block design with eight treatments in six blocks. Experimental diets included: soybean meal (control treatment), raw soybeans, full-fat soybeans extruded (15%) at 90 and 150°C, and each of them with 0.02% or without (0.0) protease enzyme supplementation. The use of raw soybean compared to soybean meal or extruded full-fat soybean significantly reduced feed intake, body weight and relative carcass weight, as well as increased feed conversion ratio and pancreatic weight (P<0.01). weight gain was improved in diets supplemented by protease enzyme compared to diets containing raw soybean (P<0.01). Feed conversion ratio was improved in diets containing raw soybean and soy bean meal by dietary protease supplementation (P<0.01). Extrusion temperature did not affect the growth performance of experimental birds. Diet containing raw soybean without enzyme increased blood cholesterol levels (P <0.05). According to the findings of this study, the use of protease enzyme in diets containing soybean meal or raw soybean can improve the performance of broilers However, such effect is less pronounced in diets containing extruded full-fat soybean meal.

Flax seed meal (FSM) is rich in various nutrients, especially CP and energy, and can be used as animal protein feed. Flax seed meal is a by-product of flax seed oil extraction. It has approximately 13.3 MJ DE/kg DM and 32% to 37% CP. It has a balanced amino acid profile and relatively low-rumen effective degradable protein. Additionally, it has been reported that FSM has greater content of phenolics and flavonoids than that in its seed. Moreover, it exhibits high antioxidant activity, which is beneficial for the growth and health of animals. These qualities are desirable in feedstuffs for ruminants. However, studies on the effects of replacing SBM with FSM in fattening ewes are limited. The aim of this experiment was to study the effects of replacing a portion of cottonseed meal with flax meal) Linum usitatissimum( on blood parameters, rumen fibrolytic enzyme activity metabolites, the immune system and growth performance in ewes.

The experimental design was a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square with the following treatments: (1) 0% flax meal, (2) 33% flax meal, (3) 66% flax meal and (4) 100% flax meal. The ewes were fed in individual pens for periods of 21 days, with the first 14 days for adaptation to diets and daily meal two hours of 08:00 am and 04:00pm were administered orally. The measurement of blood parameters (Glucose, triglyceride, Blood urea nitrogen, Cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, VLDL- cholesterol) and immune system (Leucocytus, Lymphocytes,   Monocytes, Granulocyte, Red blood cells , Hemoglobin, Hematocrit, The average volume of hemoglobin, The average weight of hemoglobin, The average concentration of hemoglobin in the cell, Red cell scattering amplitude, Platelets, The average size of platelets, The volume of platelets) at the end at the end of the 21-day period. To measure ruminal parameters (pH, ammonia nitrogen and micro-crystalline cellulose and carboxy-methyl cellulose) at the end of each sampling period was 20 days.

The results show that increasing the amount of blood urea nitrogen, cholesterol and HDL- cholesterol and LDL- cholesterol reduced. The immune system parts value hemoglobin and mean hemoglobin concentration have difference significant in treatment and the most amount was of 100% cotton meal treatment. Micro-crystalline cellulose enzyme activity to every three enzymatic activity (intracellular, extracellular and attached to particles) declined.

Overall, the results indicated that cottonseed meal can be effectively replaced by flax meal in the diets of ewes and the optimal proportion was 100% under the conditions of this experiment and without health impact.

Today, due to increasing public awareness, the use of eggs as a source of essential amino acids in the human body has expanded. Since the egg is a packaged food, the quality and mechanical integrity of the shell are of great importance. In this study, a number of healthy eggs were selected and then exposed to ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) radiation. After this step, half of the samples were smeared in sunflower oil and stored for 2 days. In the next step, the fracture force of the eggshell was obtained with the help of the Instron device. The results of this experiment showed that a number of levels of ultraviolet radiation factors were able to cause changes in the amount of fracture force of the eggshell. In the study of the effect of infrared light on the fracture force of the eggshell, it was observed that with increasing the number of bulbs and irradiation time, the amount of breaking force has also increased and this had a direct relationship with the factors of number of lamps and irradiation time. Also, in the study of the effect of infrared samples and impregnation of the shell with sunflower oil, it was concluded that impregnation of the eggshell with the oil reduces the amount of refractive force from 30.3 to 26.5 N. Finally, it was observed that the infrared samples had a higher average refractive index than the ultraviolet samples.

To study the effect of in ovo injection of silver nanoparticles on immune system function and some blood parameters in broiler chickens under oxidative stress condition. 560 Fertile eggs allocated to 4 treatments with 4 replicates of 35 eggs in each. Experimental treatments included: 1) positive control (injection of 1 mL of physiological serum), 2) negative control (no injection of physiological serum), 3) injection of 20 mg nanoparticles of silver per egg and 4) injection of 40 mg nanoparticles of silver per egg. The injection was performed on day 7 of incubation. For oxidative stress, birds received 500 micrograms of lipopolysaccharide per kilogram of body weight at three times (12, 24, and 48 h before slaughter), through intraperitoneal injection. The results showed that silver nanoparticles improved the weight of chickens during breeding (p<0.05). Silver nanoparticles have significantly increased the weight of lymphatic organs (p<0.05). The group receiving 40 mg of silver nanoparticles showed the highest weight of lymphatic organs. Blood cholesterol in experimental treatments showed a significant difference (p<0.05). Negative control treatment showed the highest level of blood cholesterol compere to positive control and silver nanoparticles (p<0.05). TNF-α and TGF-β showed a significant difference experimental treatments so that the group receiving 40 mg of silver nanoparticles showed the highest level of gene expression (p<0.05). From this study, it is clear that silver nanoparticles improve the immune response of broilers by improving weight, lowering cholesterol and increasing the level of expression of immune and growth factor genes.

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of gamma ray irradiated cottonseed meal on production performance and external and internal quality traits of quail eggs. A total of 144 pieces of Japanese quail were distributed to 4 experimental treatments with 6 replications in a completely randomized design. Experimental diets included diets without gamma-irradiated cottonseed meal (control treatment) and diets containing levels of 7.5, 15 and 22.5 percent of gamma-irradiated cottonseed meal. During the experimental period, weekly feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratio were recorded and at the end of week 4, 2 eggs were selected from each replicate and the traits related to the external and internal quality of eggs were examined. The results showed that 40 kg dose of gamma rays could reduce the total and free gossypol of raw cottonseed meal (37.47 and 0.14 compared to 679.31 and 42.94). Addition of different levels of gamma-irradiated cottonseed meal did not have a significant effect on production yield, external and internal quality traits of quail eggs in different treatments at 70 days (p>0.05). The results of this study showed that irradiation of 40 kg dose of gamma rays to cottonseed meal can reduce the concentration of total and free gossypol and its consumption in the diet will not have a negative effect on quail performance and quail egg characteristics. The level of 22.5% of dietary protein with irradiated meal has no negative effect on production performance and external and internal quality traits of quail eggs.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different levels of thyme (Thymus vulgaris) extract on growth performance, feed intake, daily weight gain and digestibility of nutrients in fattening lambs and kids. For this purpose, 15 goat kids (average initial BW of 17.3 ± 1.2 Kg, 3 month- old) and 15 Dalagh lambs (average initial BW of 21.4 ± 1.5 Kg, 3 month- old) were randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments: 1) control (without thyme extract), 2) supplemented with 250 ml thyme extract, 3) supplemented with 500 ml thyme extract. Animals were kept in individual pens with self-mangers for 84 days. Experimental results showed that different levels of thyme extract had a significant effect on daily weight gain and feed intake throughout the period in both species, so that in animals fed 250 ml of thyme extract was higher than other treatments (P <0.0001). Dietary treatments containing 500 ml of thyme extract had the lowest weight gain and final weight and feed intake throughout the period. Also, lambs had better weight gain and more food intake than kids. Thyme extract reduced the digestibility of organic matter and NDFand increased the digestibility of dry matter (P <0.0001) and the effect of the species on nutrient digestibility was not significant.Overall, the results showed that the best level of thyme extract in animals diets was 250 ml, and at this level the best growth performance was achieved. The lambs were also more affected by the thyme extract than the kids.

This study was performed to investigate the effect of organic and inorganic selenium supplementation on laying hens' performance, quality traits and peroxidation of egg yolks and whites. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design with 300 laying hens (W-36) from 23 to 35 weeks of age with 5 treatments and 6 replications and 10 laying hens in each replication. Experimental treatments include: treatment one or control (basic diet without selenium), The second treatment of 0.5 selenite-sodium (base diet+0.5 mg/kg selenite-sodium), the third treatment selenite-sodium 1 (basic diet+1mg/kg selenite-sodium), the fourth treatment selenium-methionine 0.5 (basal diet + 0.5 mg/kg seleno-methionine) and the fifth treatment was seleno-methionine 1 (basal diet +1 mg/kg seleno-methionine). The results showed that experimental treatments had no significant effect on egg weight, weight mass, production percentage, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and egg yolk and egg white characteristics (P<0.05). Peroxidation of egg yolk and egg white fats in 1 mg/kg seleno-methionine treatment showed the lowest rate compared to other experimental treatments (P<0.05). The results of the present study showed that among the sources of selenium, 1 mg/kg of selenium-methionine more effectively reduced the peroxidation of fats and increased antioxidant activity.

This experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 5 treatments, 6 repetitions and 10 chicken in each repetition in order to evaluate the effect of selenium supplement immune system related treats, egg qualitative characteristics, blood parameters and antibody titers against Newcastle disease and influenza, laying hens w36 strains. Experimental treatments include: (1) basic diet, (2) basic diet plus 0.5 mg/kg of Sodium selenite (3) basic diet plus 1 mg/kg of Sodium selenite, (4) basic diet plus 0.5 mg/kg of selenium-methionine and (5) base diets plus 1 mg/kg of selenium-methionine. The results show egg traits were not affected by experimental treatments (P>0.05). treatment of 0.5 and 1 mg/kg of selenium-methionine significantly reduced the enzyme Aspartate Amino Transferase (P<0.05). Also, treatments containing organic selenium significantly reduced the enzyme Alanine Amino Transferase (P<0.05). The results showed that 0.5 mg/kg of selenium-methionine significantly increased the levels of immunoglobulin G, M and A compared to other experimental treatments (P<0.05). However, the levels of immunoglobulins A and M in organic and inorganic sources were not significantly affected by selenium levels (P>0.05). Newcastle antibody titers did not significantly differentiate between experimental treatments (P>0.05). However, 1 mg/kg of selenium-sodium significantly reduced the antibody titer of influenza (P<0.05). In general, although the consumption of organic and inorganic sources of selenium was ineffective on egg characteristics, organic sources of selenium more effectively stimulate the immune system and increase blood immunoglobulins than non-organic sources.

In this study, the effect of ovo injection of silver nanoparticles on the immune system response of broilers was studied. In this regard, 560 eggs were randomly divided into four groups with four replications. Experimental groups included: 1) positive control (injection of 1 mL of physiological serum on the seventh day of incubation), 2) negative control (no injection of physiological serum), 3) injection of 20 mg silver nanoparticles, and 4) injection of 40 mg silver nanoparticles per it was an egg. The injection of silver nanoparticles and the control group was performed on day 7 of the incubation period. At the end of the incubation period, the chicks were counted to check the percentage of hatchability and after weighting, they were slaughtered to check the parameters of the immune system. There was a significant difference in hatching percentage in experimental groups (p <0.05) so that the negative control group showed the highest percentage of hatching chickens. Silver nanoparticles improved the growth of chickens during the incubation period (p <0.05) so that the group receiving 20 mg of silver nanoparticles showed the highest body weight. Silver nanoparticles significantly increased the relative weight of liver and spleen (p <0.05). Immunoglobulin G (IgG, M (IgM) concentration, total white blood cell count, and heterophile to lymphocyte ratio did not show significant differences (p >0.05). Hepatic tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) gene expression Interleukin (6) (IL-, beta-modifying growth factor (TGF-β)) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) showed significant differences in the experimental groups (p <0.05). The group receiving 20 mg of silver nanoparticles showed the highest level of gene expression. In general, the results of this study showed that ovo injection of silver nanoparticles strengthens the immune system of broilers.